Colorblind
by Let Love In
Summary: Ever wonder how Gray, the silent and grumpy farmer, and Popuri, the flower-loving jovial spirit, came to be married? Set in Harvest Moon 64. Two shot. Take a look at the summary before reading!
1. Chapter 1

_Colorblind_

**A/N: This **_**isn't**_** a one-shot! It might be a two or three-shot. Originally, I wanted to make it a one-shot but it was getting too long that I figured I should expand it. Anywho, this story is about Gray and Popuri. I was playing Harvest Moon 64 the other day, and started wondering… how in the world did those two end up together? So I decided to write about it, and make up my own little story to how they fell in love, especially since they're complete opposites. By the way, I know that in the actual game, Popuri has lived in Flowerbud for her whole life. But I had to tweak it to fit the story. This also takes place about a year before 'Jack' moves in. So please enjoy this first chapter! I will be posting the other chapter or two in a bit! Oh, and the title 'Colorblind' comes from the Counting Crows song. If you pay attention to the lyrics, they directly relate to Gray. It's scary accurate.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harvest Moon!**

It was a regular sunny day, just like always. The cap I wore was snug on my forehead, causing the heat to make me sweat like crazy. Grunting, I swung the sickle with force and sliced some blades of grass before taking a moment to wipe my moist brow. It was the second of Spring, around seven in the morning, yet why was it so hot outside? Straightening up, I glanced around the pasture. Ann hadn't yet woken up, probably still suffering from a hangover from New Year's. Hell, probably everyone in the town was hung over. Well, except me.

After a few more hours, I had covered half the field. Usually manning the sickle was Ann's job, but seeing as she hadn't woken up yet, I took the liberty of doing it for her. But now that I realized how tough it was, especially with the sun beating upon my shoulders, I understood why she was never in a good mood when she had to cut the grass. Glancing at the house, I sighed and wiped my brow once more, wondering why Ann hadn't yet stirred from sleep. Almost as if on cue, she stumbled out of the wooden door and yawned sleepily.

"Oh, hello Gray!" She greeted me, passing through the fence before stopping and grinning from ear to ear.

"You didn't have to do my job, you know…" She said in a silly tone, clearly grateful that her work was almost done. I shrugged.

"No skin off my back." I commented, swiping at another patch of grass. Before I knew it, she was hugging my shoulders lovingly, giggling as she did. I shrugged her off. I didn't like being touched, yet alone hugged, even by my own younger sister. She was used to this kind of reaction, and let go immediately without questions.

"Anything you need me to do?" She asked, glancing over at the barn. I knew what she was about to inquire, but I wasn't too sure about it. Ever since we started working on the farm, she had always wanted to tend to the animals. Which of course, our father let her do. But the one animal that I never wanted her touching was Cliffguard… my horse. It's not that I didn't trust her as an animal caretaker, or anything. Cliffguard was mine, and we sort of understood each other.

But today, I hadn't yet taken to Cliffguard because I was cutting the grass. And unfortunately for me, Ann absolutely _adored _my horse. Every chance she got; she was trying to go near him without me seeing, brushing him and rubbing behind his ears. She knew I didn't like anyone near him but me, yet she just loved him.

Groaning, I looked down at my seventeen year old little sister. Her blue eyes were wide, filled with hope. Her usual braids were not yet woven, leaving her hair to be wavy and wild, shining in the sun, which always seemed to accentuate the red hue. At times like these, she looked like our mother used to. Hopeful, carefree, untamed.

"Fine. You can take to Cliffguard today, but _only _today." I told her sternly, swinging the sickle at another scrap of grass. She squealed, and leaned in to hug me, but stopping just as she remembered my rule. Which was: no touching unless I'm in immediate danger.

She skipped off to the barn, and I finished the rest of the grass just in time for her to waltz outside about an hour later with a large grin on her face.

"Cliffguard is just beautiful," She said as she approached me. I nodded in response.

"Hey, who's that?" She asked me, pointing towards the entrance of the farm. I peered into the distance, squinting my eyes, to see a petite, pink-haired girl wandering into the front area. When she spotted us, she headed over slowly, seemingly cautious.

"Yoohoo!" Ann yelled cheerfully, waving her over to where we were standing. I felt the need to smack my forehead. Why must Ann be so kind to strangers? The girl walked steadily across the grass, eyeing us. I frowned a bit, before crouching down and picking at a weed.

"Hi!" The girl greeted us happily. Ann smiled in return. "I'm Popuri, my mom and I just opened a flower shop in the village."

Popuri? What a silly name.

"I'm Ann, nice to meet you! This is our farm, we sell animals and such, if you ever need to buy some." Ann said on default, telling her what my father always told us to tell guests. _We could always use more business_, he would say.

Popuri glanced over Ann's shoulder and looked at me, almost expecting an introduction. I kept pulling at the weed. Ann's voice came in a sharp whisper as she pulled Popuri aside for a few moments. I stopped pulling to see if I could make out what she was saying.

All I could make out were the words "…brother…Gray…antisocial…might not want to get involved." It was Ann's natural disclaimer, always telling the new townspeople that they 'might not want to get involved' with me and that I 'wasn't too keen on strangers'. Whatever.

However, this girl seemed to ignore Ann's little warning. She approached me as I examined the blisters forming on my palms from pulling the pesky weeds.

"Hello," She said in a melodic voice, outstretching her delicate, pale hand. "I'm Popuri, what's your name?"

Wiping my forehead, I looked at her bright, pink eyes and gleaming smile.

"Gray." I replied curtly, before crouching down and pulling at another weed. She retracted her handshake, and placed both of her tiny hands behind her back. Leaning forward to look at what I was doing, her glossy hair swooped in front of her face gracefully. I looked up at her again, wondering what she was doing.

"Looks like you're working hard," She observed, "Weeds are a pain."

I grunted in response, gliding my thumb against the peeling skin on my right palm. My lack of reaction didn't faze her.

"You know, my mother and I just opened a flower shop in town. We always have to deal with these things. But we do have some useful weed repellent…" She spoke, her voice high-pitched and merry.

For the second time today, I was reminded of my mother. The way that Popuri ignored Ann's little advice and talked to me anyways was, well, brave. Usually new townspeople would listen to my sister's forewarning and leave without a second glance in my direction, and usually they wouldn't talk to me again. Her pluck was very much like my mom's. In a way, it was calming.

"We don't sell the repellent, but we always have a few extra. It would do good for those palms of yours," She continued, looking down at my tattered hands. I shrugged. Truth be told, I didn't mind the blisters so much. It was a sign of achievement, letting me know that I had worked hard. But cutting all that grass was exhausting, and now pulling the weeds was taking a toll on my stamina.

"Just a thought." She said finally, after standing silently next to me as I contemplated her offer. Straightening up, she smoothed out her pink dress meticulously. I too got up from the ground, figuring that I better grab some bandages for my hands.

"Well, it was very nice to meet you Ann," She spoke, looking at my sister, "Gray," She faced me, gazing at me imploringly. I pulled my cap lower, shielding my eyes.

"Oh, and don't forget about the repellent, okay?"

I shrugged as she turned and left the farm with a spring in her step. That girl was jolly, all right.

After I found some old bandages and wrapped up my dirty hands, I returned to the field. Staring out onto the vast land, I noticed how many weeds were left for me to pull. Sighing with exhaustion, I trudged back on to the field.

I pulled more weeds for about another hour when I realized how long this would take, and how much my hands were aching. I looked down at them, noticing that the old, cheap bandages were peeling off already. I got up and brushed the dirt off my pants, before strolling over to the farm shop.

"Hey, dad?" I called when I entered the store. He was in the back room, shuffling about with a load of boxes in his arms.

"Yes?" He asked, his voice strained.

"I'm… going into town really quickly. To get something." I said hesitantly. I never went into town, unless it was at night to grab a drink or two at the bar.

"Um, sure, son." He replied, gazing at me from the back room, probably checking to make sure I was okay. I nodded brusquely and left the farm store.

As I left the farm, I stared down at my feet intently. I didn't want to be in town long, I just wanted the repellent. I could feel my hands stinging as I walked, still staring at the ground. Until I ran into someone.

"Ouch!" The man exclaimed, a package flying into the air as the both of us toppled to the ground. I looked up to see Harrison, the mailman. He occasionally waltzed around the farm, claiming that he loved animals and that he was jealous that we had so many. Of course, I never had a one-to-one conversation with the guy.

The package that was sent flying into the air promptly landed on Harrison's head with a thud. He rubbed his head slowly, wincing a little. I looked away, feeling a blush creep onto my face. Why had I left the farm, again? I didn't _need _that repellent; I needed to just turn right around and-

"I'm sorry about that, I wasn't looking where I was going!" The man said jovially as he stood and brushed some dust off his backside. I stood too, flustered.

"S-Sorry." I stammered, still not looking at him as I passed him and headed for the village. I figured that I did need that repellent, seeing as when I looked down at my hands, they were beginning to bleed from catching myself on that fall. This time, though, as I walked I made sure that I was at least glancing up every once in a while to make sure no one was in my way.

Finally, I looked up when I approached a building I hadn't seen before. The sign read 'Lillia's Flower Shop', festooned with floral décor. I pushed the door open hesitantly, hearing a ding above my head. A tiny bell was attached to the door.

"Hello! Welcome to my shop, I haven't seen you before!" A woman greeted me, looking an awful lot like Popuri. I looked away, turning red again. Why were people so… friendly?

"I'm Lillia, what's your name?" She asked me.

"Uh, Gray." I told her, looking around the quaint little shop with curiosity. They seemed to sell seeds here, too. I stared at the color-coded bags, which read crop names and flower seeds.

"Would you like to buy some seeds? Or maybe it's flowers you're looking for. Oh, and there's the notebook right on the table to help you out, or you can just ask me!" She said with excitement. If I didn't know any better, I was her first customer. I actually felt kind of bad that I wasn't actually buying anything. Suddenly, a door to the left of me opened and Popuri sauntered out, looking surprised when she saw me.

"Gray! Hello! Are you here for the repellent?" She asked cheerfully. I nodded slowly.

"Follow me," She said, motioning for me to come with her. I obeyed, but not before catching a quick glance back at Lillia to see her face fall.

"Oh, well, if you need seeds or anything, let me know…" She said softly. I felt bad for her, it looked as if no one had bought anything yet. But I just nodded and followed Popuri into a small storage room in the back of the shop. It was a tight fitted room with boxes upon boxes of seeds, piling up to the ceiling of the dimly lit closet. She looked puzzled as she searched through the boxes.

"Aha!" She exclaimed, pulling out a smaller box that was labeled 'repellent' with a little smiley face next to it. Damn, these people were cheery.

Pulling out a bottle, she handed it over before shoving the box into the middle of nowhere and brushing past me, out of the closet. I timidly followed.

"Uh, thanks." I said quietly, before heading for the exit.

"Oh wait, Blue was it?" Lillia called.

"Mom, it's Gray." Popuri corrected her.

"Oh yes. So sorry, you look just like another farmer I know named Blue. What a coincidence, you both have color names! Anywho, you've lived here for a while, right?" She asked me. I nodded slowly, not looking at the woman. I just wanted to get out of there.

"How pleasant. Nice town, isn't it? Anyways. I was wondering if you know any good foraging areas around here. See, my husband is off in Forget-Me-Not Valley at the moment, researching the plants. He's a botanist! He recently sent me a letter saying that he would like to come live with us for a while, if there is good plant life so he can continue his job. Would you say so?" She asked me. I froze. How was I supposed to respond? I could barely say my name to these people, for Goddess' sake.

"I-I don't really… leave my f-farm. I have to g-go." I stuttered, pushing open the jingling door and swiftly making my way out of the shop.

Generally, I'm not a nervous person. I just… don't like talking to people. And when I have to talk to someone other than Ann or dad, it's a difficult task. People like Popuri and her mom are just different. It used to be that mom gave me courage to talk, and be marginally friendly. And it was hard for her, I can tell. I was not the most outgoing kid, I was far from it. And when I started to make progress, she… died. And now everything that anyone has to say is just unimportant to me. It sounds horrible but it's how I function.

Over the next few days, Popuri visited Ann often. They grew to become close friends due to their similarities. Granted, Ann didn't like flowers as much as Popuri did, and Popuri didn't like animals as much as Ann did, but everything in between was almost identical. Talk about scary.

This meant that she was at the farm pretty frequently, always leaning on the fence by the field, her lustrous hair flapping about in the wind, her pink eyes fixed on me. I don't know what her deal was, but she just kept _talking _to me all the time. Even if I didn't respond, she didn't care. It was weird, almost everyone I had ever met in this town thought I was some unfriendly jerk who hated the world. I wasn't like that. I never hated, I just… didn't deal with bullshit.

Popuri was different. She… cared? She knew about my passion for animals, and she talked about it with me. I didn't respond often, other than shrugs or 'uh, yeah's. But it didn't stop her. It never stopped her. You would think someone like me, a hardworking stiff who didn't get along with most people, would be annoyed by this kind of behavior. But to tell you the truth, I was intrigued. Why hadn't I scared her away by now? Why hadn't she realized that it was going to take more than a welcoming smile and mesmerizing eyes to get me to speak? She had the same persistence that mom had. That sheer force to keep trying.

I woke up one morning to Ann, prancing around in a silk dress with flowers adorning her red hair. I rubbed my eyes to make sure I was seeing correctly.

"Wake up, sleepy head! It's the Flower Festival!" She cheered, her grin spreading from ear to ear. I groaned.

"You know I hate festivals, Ann." I replied plainly. She looked at me, blue eyes big with disdain.

"Gray, you know this was mom's favorite festival. You always come."

I rubbed my temples thoughtfully.

"Yeah, well… maybe it's about time I stop going. Besides, I have a ton of work to do on the farm."

Ann looked absolutely crushed.

"How could you say that? You have to come. Do the work before hand, please? The festival doesn't even start until nine. And I won't make you dance this time, I promise. You can just sit in the corner and sulk."

I sighed, clearly perturbed at her whining. She was right; it was mom's favorite festival. She loved seeing all the girls in their silk dresses, flowers galore, dancing excitedly with their partners. She even told us that once; she was one of those girls in the pretty dresses. It was hard for me to imagine, for she wasn't exactly a girly girl.

"Fine. But we're leaving right after, no buts." I told her, angrily getting up and throwing on my cap. She squealed happily.

"Great! I'll see you there, I have to go meet up with the other girls to find out who wins queen!" She exclaimed, bouncing off. Smacking my forehead, I started out to the fields.

About an hour later, I found myself heading towards town in the same fashion I had before, head down. I reached the square within minutes, due to my speed walking, and climbed the stairs to the festival. The square was decorated with flowers galore, and I was pretty certain that a particular someone would absolutely adore this festival. Popuri, I mean.

Dozens of times, she had commented that out farm would look better with flowers. Yellow ones, to be exact. I grunted in response. Truth be told, I quite fancied flowers. Not in the way Popuri did: in huge bouquets, overly exaggerated, and just… too embellished. I liked flowers in their pure form: singular, and in the ground. I've always thought them to be very beautiful. They're like a breath of fresh air when everything around them is far from it. Of course, I marveled at flowers quietly, and alone. Not even Ann knew about my adoration, and I wanted to keep it that way.

When I arrived, I settled on a bench in the corner and waited for the festival to begin. Everyone around me mingled idly, commenting on the beautiful scenery or how nice the day was today, etcetera. Honestly, it was dull. That is, until the girls came out, dolled up and looking merry. Even Karen, the somewhat bitter barmaid and vineyard worker was looking jovial.

How did I know she was bitter, you might ask? Her and Ann happen to be inseparable. Lucky me.

I looked around for Popuri, who didn't seem to be anywhere in sight. Maybe she had decided not to come? Although, I have no idea why. Her mom was there, along with a man who seemed to be her dad. Almost suddenly, my thoughts were interrupted by the mayor's booming voice.

"Here comes the queen!" He exclaimed. Popuri emerged, looking, well, breathtaking. It was easier for me to think than say, believe me.

Her dress was long, flowing, and silky. Her hair was pinned behind her, and only a few bangs were left to frame her delicate face. She wore deep pink flowers in her hair and yellow ones on her dress. As soon as the applause came, she blushed furiously and smiled a twinkling smile. If I didn't know any better, it looked as if she was about to cry from happiness.

After all the praise, the girls grabbed their dance partners. Popuri's dad left his wife's side and took his daughter's hand with a grin on his face. The music began, and all of the couples danced the Goddess' dance. Peering over Popuri, I caught Ann dancing with Kai, another vineyard worker. I sighed unhappily. Ann always fell for the worst boys.

At last, the dance had finished and the girls all gave a bow. After a closing speech, the mayor dismissed the townspeople, and they all excitedly left the square, talking fervently about the girls. As soon as I got to the village, I spotted Ann a few paces in front of me.

"Ready to go home?" I asked her dully. She looked at me, and then winced. I knew what she wanted; she wanted to stay out later. I groaned.

"Ann, I told you that we would go straight home afterwards." I said, the 'parent' gene in me kicking in. Ever since our family of four became a family of three, it seemed as though dad didn't know exactly how to handle Ann and her recklessness. So, I stepped in, hence the reason I always felt some sort of authority over my little sister.

"Yeah, but Kai and I wanted to grab a drink at the bar… you could come with?" She asked hopefully. Kai popped out from behind her, flashing me a goofy grin. I seethed.

"No." I stated firmly.

"Come on, Gray! Just one drink, and I'll send your little girl home." Kai joked, still with the goofy grin. I glared at the boy.

"Excuse me, I don't remember asking you. What do you want with Ann, anyways? Get out of here." I replied angrily, clenching my fists. Ann's eyes widened.

"Okay, okay, let's go." She pulled me away as Kai stared at Ann in confusion.

Oh. I guess I neglected to mention that even with my extreme dislike for talking to people, I had quite a protective shield when it came to Ann. She always fell for the dumbest boys. She always argued that I was too hard on most of them to begin with, but I shrugged that notion off.

The next year seemed to pass by quickly. Everyday was work (which lately had taken much longer due to Popuri's visits) and then the bar. The same routine, all the time. And Popuri visited about once or twice a week, cheerful as ever. Always having something to talk about. I still couldn't respond.

Sometimes, it seemed as if she was just talking to herself. Rambling on about the farm, or the shop, or Ann, or me, or the animals, or anything that popped into her head. The odd thing was that I didn't really mind. Sure, my work was taking a little longer, but sometimes just having someone there was kind of comforting. Oddly enough. Especially when Ann was out at the vineyard with Karen, or climbing trees by the cave. I had someone to talk to. Well, not _really _talk to.

What was weird was that every day, I felt more inclined to talk back. To tell her that I agreed with her, or disagreed. And I have never really had the actual urge to talk to someone. Not since I was younger. I knew she was waiting for the day, too. The day that I would actually say something back to her. But I wasn't quite ready. Just seeing her leaning on the fence, smile on her face… it was okay for now.

**A/N: So how did you like that first chapter? I hope it wasn't too long. Now, I still need to decide if this will be a two-shot or a three-shot. I'll see how the next chapter goes. Let me know what you thought!**


	2. Chapter 2

It was springtime once again, and this time we had two newcomers to Flowerbud Village. Both boys, to my luck. Knowing Ann, she would try to date the both of them. She always did, with more than half of the bachelors in this town. Of course, I rejected most of them before she had the chance to _actually _date them.

One of the boys' names was Jack. He seemed average, and took over the farm adjacent to ours. From the looks of it, he was friendly, but somewhat smug. And Ann couldn't help but be a giggling idiot around him. Girls would be girls, I supposed. She even gave away one of our baby horses for him. I don't know what got into her! But I was definitely going to keep an eye out for Jack.

The other was a straggler named Cliff. A man who traveled here and there, doing… well, nothing exactly. He just wandered about the mountains every day, feeding off of things he found on the ground, or things that people would give to him for charity. The best thing about this guy, though, was that him and Ann didn't get along. At all. Finally, there was one guy I didn't have to worry about.

Popuri kept hanging around, picking at the wooden fence as she went on and on about whatever popped into her head. Like always. Except lately, she had been growing more and more silent each day, and whenever she did talk, she sounded awfully upset. I wanted to ask what was the matter, but I didn't. I just toiled around the farm like usual, hoping that one day she would bring up what was the matter.

And she did. It was a broiling day in late summer, and the sun seemed as if it had been eternally shining since spring ended. It set very late in the evening, and rose early in the morning, not giving Flowerbud Village a break for rain. It was days like this when I wondered why I didn't wear short sleeves…

"My dad is thinking of leaving again," She commented one day as she stared off into space, looking sullen. Like a wilted flower, I suppose. I stopped working for a moment to stare at her, and then continued.

"I don't really know why, either. I mean, it's fine here in Flowerbud Village. Great, actually. Why does he have to be some stupid traveling botanist? Why can't he just settle down in one place?" She asked, to no one in particularly. I had never heard that kind of twang in her voice, a tone of anger hiding beneath the high-pitched manner. I stared at her while taking off my cap and wiping at my forehead. She stared back.

"I know you understand what I'm talking about, don't you?" She asked me, still gazing. I looked away, clearly uncomfortable. Sighing, she let go of the fence and turned her back to me, about to walk away. But something came over me, I wasn't sure what it was, but I felt the desire to respond.

"Yeah, I do." I said, clearly and crisply. She turned back around, frowning a bit, as if caught off guard. But then she smiled, causing me to scratch my head in embarrassment.

"I knew you did. Well, I should get back to the shop… I'll see you later." She called, waving before turning back around and wandering out of the farm. I couldn't help but wait until she turned into a speck in the distance before going inside the barn.

The last few days of Summer were killer. I couldn't help but feel like I was melting every time I set foot outside to work. The grass was always mushy beneath my feet and even the animals seemed to drag around the pasture with weary eyes and burning skin. I felt bad for them. But thankfully, Summer slowly but painfully ended, and Fall began.

Fall was always the best time for the animals. The air was cool; not too hot or cold, and the leaves that fell from the nearby trees always served as a good snack for them. It was better for me, too. Seeing as it wasn't always sunny, and the grass was a lot easier to handle.

But one thing was slightly weird about Fall beginning: Popuri hadn't showed up in a long time. I began to worry about her, but I couldn't do anything about it really. If I asked Ann about her, she would let her imagination get carried away, and if I actually went out and _looked _for her… well, that just wouldn't go well. So I stayed put, hoping to see her in the distance one of these days, gleefully waltzing towards the farm. It wasn't until a few days into Fall, as I was walking towards the shop for some supplies, that I saw her. And there was nothing gleeful about her step.

"Daddy, please. Don't leave," She pleaded, following the man who I had seen dancing with Popuri at last year and this year's Flower Festival. Except, the jovial man I had once seen dancing with his daughter now had a stern look on his face.

"Po, honey, I'm sorry. But I'll be back next Spring. My job calls for it, I can't stay here for right now." He replied austerely as he kept walking westward towards the exit of the village. She followed him.

"But what about mom and I? What about all of your friends here? Why do you always have to leave us?" She asked fervently, her face growing red as her voice cracked. Although I was pretty far away, I could still here the shaking in her tone, as if she was about to burst. Her father turned around to face her while grabbing onto her shoulders gently.

"All I can say is that I'm sorry." He said calmly, before kissing her forehead lovingly. With that, he turned around and walked towards the exit. But this time Popuri didn't follow him; she stood in one position looking hopeless and alone. I felt bad staring at this scene, even if it was happening right in front of the farm. So, I turned and headed for the shop, but I didn't neglect to take one last look at her. Oddly enough, she was staring right back at me intensely. It only made me quicken my step until I was safely inside.

Surprisingly enough, the next morning after I had finished herding all the animals outside, I saw a familiar pink head of hair lounging on the fence. Today she wore a light coat over her dress, seeing as clouds were covering the sky and the temperatures were dropping lower and lower each day. I breathed in a giant breath of cool air before venturing closer to her. She waved.

"Sorry you had to see that big display yesterday." She said dully, swatting at a crease in her dress. I shrugged, taking out a brush from my pocket brushing our cow, Betsy. Popuri sighed heavily.

"I'm just so sick of him leaving," She commented, "He's getting older and so is my mom… I just thought that he would understand that and stay with us. But he's traveling again."

I gazed at her as she looked down at the ground, her porcelain face contorting into a small frown. The dreary clouds above us thundered lightly.

"Y-you know," I began hesitantly, not exactly sure what had taken over me, "Before you know it… Sp-Spring will be here, and, uh…"

I stopped short, unsure of what to say next. I wasn't exactly great at the whole 'comforting' thing, but she smiled anyways. I felt suddenly embarrassed, and I focused my attention on Betsy again.

"You're right." She said softly. "I should look on the bright side… You know, even if you don't talk a lot, Gray, you have some good things to say."

Startled, I felt my eyes widen as I glanced back up at her again. Did she just compliment me? On my speaking? Well, that was a first.

"Uh, thank you." I replied, shoving the brush back into my pocket and patting Betsy's back delicately. I felt something wet land on my cheek and I groaned.

"Oh dear, looks like rain." She commented as a few more drops splashed on my skin. It felt good. "I better get going. See you."

I nodded as she turned and left, quickening her pace to a jog as the drops fell more frequently. Opening the barn doors, I herded the animals back inside and stayed with them for the rest of the night as the large spheres of rain pounded on the roof relaxingly.

Soon, Popuri's visits became more and more frequent. I didn't complain, it was just hard to concentrate on the animals sometimes with her leaning on the fence all the time.

It wasn't until around the end of Fall when I started to notice something was wrong with Cliffguard. My prized horse. It was around eight in the morning, and already all of the animals were outside. Except him. I don't know what was going on, but he laid in his stable lazily, his eyes droopy and his coat faded. I felt my breath quicken as I tried to get him to stand, but he just fell back down onto the hard floor with a thud. Quickly, I patted him to let him know everything would be okay, before I made a run for it.

As soon as I burst through to the outside, I saw Popuri on the fence, waving at me. I kept sprinting, and I knew she knew that something was wrong. She followed behind me, scuttling as fast as she could.

"Dad," I said as calmly as I could, even if my breathing was becoming frantic. "Cliffguard… there's something wrong… I need medicine."

My dad nodded sternly and pointed to the shelf. I dashed forward and grabbed a bottle before rushing back to the barn, Popuri hot on my tail. Flinging open the doors, I went over to my horse and crouched beside him, trying to catch my breath. Popuri looked worried stiff.

"I need you, come here," I told her, motioning with my hand. She steadily walked forward. "Can you just put your arm in front of his upper torso? He's well trained, he knows that it means to sit still."

She nodded nervously and walked towards the large horse.

"Don't be scared, he's not going to hurt you." I tried to reassure her, but it came out more harshly than I intended. She placed her feeble arm in front of his upper torso, like I ordered, and sighed in relief. I took the medicine bottle, poured a little into a tiny bucket that we used for chickens, and held it close to his nose. He sniffed it once and then turned his snout away, clearly appalled.

"Please, Cliffguard, you have to take this." I pleaded to the horse, not caring that Popuri was watching me freak out. He _had_ to be okay. I reached my hand up and scratched him behind his soft ears; it was his greatest weakness. He immediately seemed to calm down, and I brought the bucket closer to his nose. Hesitantly, he slurped up a little bit of the liquid before snorting and pulling his head away. I sighed.

"Maybe dousing it in his food would help?" Popuri suggested in a frail voice. I mulled this over for a moment before shrugging and pouring the contents of the bucket into his fodder. He glanced at the food, but he didn't eat it. He didn't even sniff it.

"No appetite, and he's slightly jaundicing… it could be anything." I commented shakily, examining the horse a bit further. I don't know what got into him but it was scaring me to death. Cliffguard was my horse, my favorite one. And as cheesy as this sounded, he was almost like a best friend to me. I didn't have friends in the village until Popuri, if you could count her. So I spent a lot of time with this horse, petting him and sitting with him on rainy days. After all, I got him when I was just a kid, given to me by mom.

"Do you think your dad knows what's wrong?" Popuri asked.

"Dad's specialty isn't horses, it's more livestock. Cows, chickens, those kinds of animals. I have always been into horses more myself. He doesn't know much." I replied, not even noticing that I was having an actual conversation without stuttering or sounding strange. But I was too worried to care about things like that.

I sat down on the hard floor, clearly flustered. Popuri followed my actions, blowing a piece of hair out of her face as she did so.

"You don't have to stay," I stated, reaching to scratch behind Cliffguard's ear some more.

"No, I want to. Cliffguard could use some extra company." She said sweetly, looking at the deteriorating horse, who seemed to smile at her. Even if she was more of a flower person than an animal person, she sure had a way with Cliffguard.

He sighed in content as she scratched the back of his ears gently, all the while talking to me in a normal tone, just as if she was resting on that fence casually. Her voice soothed Cliffguard and me and soon we both seemed to doze off.

The next think I knew, I was jerked awake by a bumping noise. I ripped my eyes open and looked around to see that I was still in the barn, with Popuri sleeping soundly next to me, but Cliffguard wasn't lying down in his stable. At first, I was extremely ecstatic to see he was up and about, but then I noticed what he was doing.

The horse was walking around aimlessly, his head facing the floor, occasionally bumping his head into the wall. After a few moments of this directionless wandering, he began circling and circling. I could feel my heart stop, my breath hitch in my throat, my eyes lose their focus. Popuri stirred next to me but I wasn't bothered by this. I knew what was wrong with Cliffguard.

Ragwort poisoning. I had an old horse die of this before, and these were his exact symptoms. Manic wandering, jaundice, loss of appetite… and then he died. Just like that, he collapsed. There was no cure for Ragwort poisoning.

I could feel a pricking behind my eyes; fresh tears were building up. I blinked furiously as Popuri stared at me with curiosity.

"What is it?" She asked. I didn't respond, instead I rushed forward to hold my horse and stop him from walking. But he almost knocked me over, as if he didn't notice me trying to stop him at all. Popuri furrowed her brow worriedly. Sighing, I slunk down onto the ground and buried my face in my hands.

Ragwort was the most poisonous plant known to horses. I couldn't believe I had been so careless as to not notice it growing in the yard. And now what? Cliffguard was going to die. As far as scientists knew, there was no cure. I could feel my chest rattling, my ears ringing as I heard Popuri gently ask me what was the matter. But all I could hear was the blood pumping through my forlorn heart, violently and vigorously.

Stinging tears formed under my eyelids but I forbade them to fall. I could feel the salt pricking at my eyeballs, painfully urging to fall down my trembling jaw, but I couldn't do it. Instead, I rolled myself into a tiny ball and breathed heavily. I could feel Popuri beside me, saying my name, but I couldn't respond.

It felt like forever before I looked back up again, at the bleak barn walls and Popuri's worried face. Her cheeks were flushed, her appearance worried and ragged. I felt bad that she was staying in here with me, watching me freak out, but I pushed that thought into the back of my mind.

I looked at my horse, still aimlessly trotting, and I felt a lurch in my stomach. For a moment, I thought that I was going to throw up, but I kept it down for her sake. Outside, I could hear thunderous roars and pounding rain on the roof. Usually, I liked rain. But today, it was just a horrible symbol; cruel irony from the gods above that my horse was going to die.

Popuri and I sat, watching my horse wander for the longest time. I had no idea how much time had passed before he halted in his footsteps. His legs folded from underneath him and he clumsily fell to the ground into a sitting position. I walked over to him, his bloodshot eyes glancing up at me in fear. I reciprocated the look and scratched him behind his ears gently. It wouldn't be long now.

Popuri stood behind me, looking on at the horse with anxiousness deeply engraved into her features. I could almost feel the ground move from under me when another thunderclap sounded outside the barn. My heart pumped rapidly as Cliffguard's eyes drooped a little lower. My stomach wrenched, my muscles tensed, my senses were growing more and more dull by the second. I couldn't hear Popuri gasp when his eyes completely closed; I couldn't even feel my own tears gliding down my face.

The only thing I did feel was her hand snaking onto my shoulder, causing me to jolt with the electricity that flowed from her hand to me. I quivered at the sight of my horse, limp and lifeless before me. I stood with difficulty on my wobbly knees and ran out of the barn, careful not to trip. I arrived at the shop and burst open the door, frightening my father.

"Gray, you need to stop bursting in like this, the weather is already scary enough, I don't need yo-"

And then he stopped when he saw me. Shaken, woeful, covered in dirt, and red in the face.

"What happened?" He asked me.

"C-cliffguard. He's…" I paused, not sure if I could force out the word, "D-dead. He's dead."

My father looked at me with a sorrowful façade. But I didn't stick around for the 'circle of life' lecture. Instead, I left. I didn't go back to the barn, I couldn't. I saw Popuri out on the field staring at me intensely, the rain pouring down onto her, but I couldn't go back to her, either. Without even registering my movements, I ran.

I could feel the rain pounding against my body with every step I took. The wind was fierce and it ripped at my clothing. I felt my cap blow off behind me, but I didn't bother to retrieve it.

Soon, I saw a bridge up ahead and I ran across it, onto a rocky terrain. I kept running until my feet cramped and my lungs burned intensely. Finally, I sat down and let my back rest on a tree trunk as the rain continued to soak me.

I knew where I was. I was on the summit of Moon Mountain. Running fingers through my hair, I let my head rest against the tree and I sighed heavily, catching my breath. Above me, I heard a thunderous roar, and the crackling of lightning. I concluded that it probably wasn't a good idea to be under a tree.

So I found a snug, little rocky cove and sat there for a while before I realized how tired I was. I hadn't slept much in the last few days, and all that running wore me out. I couldn't help but doze off.

I was awoken by a thunderclap, splitting through the soothing rain like a knife cuts through butter. Startled, I eased my eyes open and stared around me, almost forgetting where I was. The skies were dark and bleak, but from the looks of it, it was morning. The rain continued to fall steadily. Small droplets fell from the rock I was under onto my nose. I stretched quietly, and then remember why I was under that rock in the first place. Cliffguard.

I could feel my heart pump remorsefully in my chest when I remembered the scene. How he collapsed on top of himself, wheezing, looking absolutely defeated. The droopiness of his eyes, the way he walked aimlessly around the stable… my stomach cringed.

I sat under that rock almost all day. I had no idea what time it was, or how much time was passing, but it didn't matter. Every time I shifted, I felt the uncomfortable squishiness of my rain-soaked clothing, but that wasn't enough to make me go back home. So I sat, itching to change my clothes, but I tried to ignore the feeling.

I fell asleep shortly afterwards. Something about the dreary day made me feel so exhausted and void of any energy. My eyes just seemed to droop without my consent, just like Cliffguard's had. I woke up the next morning to more rain, but it was a little bit lighter.

I coughed hoarsely, feeling sickness take over my body. But I ignored it. The only thing I felt like doing was sitting and sleeping. Just as I began to close my eyes again, I heard a melodic voice call over the drizzling rain,

"You might want this back."

I opened my eyes to see Popuri, holding my hat in her pale hands as the rain beat down on her. I rubbed my eyes to make sure I wasn't seeing a mirage, but it was her. She approached me slowly, as if I was a wild animal or something.

"Uh, thanks."

I grabbed the hat out of her hands and pulled it onto my head. It was sopping wet, but I didn't care.

"How did you find me?" I asked, my voice cracking a tiny bit. As she got closer, I saw that her eyes were red and puffy. I felt a twinge in my chest.

"Well, your hat was in the river… and I figured you must be somewhere around here. I'm familiar with Moon Mountain, it's one of my favorite places to go." She replied. Timidly, she held out a delicate hand to help me up. I stared at it for a few moments, and then took it. I felt wobbly on my legs, but the feeling lessened as we made our way off the mountain. The rain seemed to stop once we reached the bottom.

"You know, everyone is worried sick about you." She said quietly. I furrowed my brow, clearly surprised.

"Really?"

"Yeah. Your dad, especially, he had everyone go on a hunt for you."

I scratched the back of my soaking head. That was not something I would have expected. As we advanced the farm, I felt the familiar feeling of my lungs being crushed. But I took in one deep breath and entered, trying my best to keep my cool. As I entered, though, I noticed something.

Flowers. Hundreds of them. Growing on the outskirts of the fence in which Popuri always leaned on. I stopped walking and turned to her, giving her a quizzical look. She blushed profusely.

"I… well, I missed you. And Ann said she's seen you marveling at flowers before and… ah. I'm sorry; I shouldn't have planted them at all. I'll just get my mom's sickle, and-"

"No," I said, almost harshly, "…Don't take them down."

Her hurt expression changed to a gleeful one. She held out her arms and wrapped them around me. Her rather short frame caused her head to rest on my chest. I felt a jolt when she touched me, but it wasn't a bad one. Timidly, I wrapped my arms around her and rested my chin on her head.

She pulled back for a moment, before turning red once more.

"Are you sure you like them? You can tell m-"

I silenced her with a kiss. I felt her smile on my lips as she reacted, wrapping her arms around my waist once more. Pulling back, I could feel my own face turn maroon to match hers.

"I love them." I replied.

**A/N: The end! I hoped you like it. I always thought that Popuri and Gray were so cute. Review and let me know what you thought!**


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